- Tolulope Arotile who was Nigeria’s first combat helicopter pilot has died
- She was involved in a ghastly car accident that left her with a serious injury
- The Nigerian Air Force praised her for being instrumental in the fight against bandits in Nigeria’s middle belt.
Nigeria has lost its first-ever female combat helicopter pilot, Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, The Nigerian Air Force revealed in a statement. She was only 25 years old.
She was involved in a horror auto crash in Kaduna on Tuesday that left her with severe head injuries.
Director of Public Relations and Information Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, announced the demise of the Flying Officer Arotile in a statement in Abuja.
“It is with great sorrow that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) regretfully announces the unfortunate demise of Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile, who died today, 14 July 2020, as a result of head injuries sustained from a road traffic accident at NAF Base Kaduna,” The Nigerian Air Force said in a statement.
“Until her death, Flying Officer Arotile, who was commissioned into the NAF in September 2017 as a member of Nigerian Defence Academy Regular Course 64, was the first ever female combat helicopter pilot in the Service”
“The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, on behalf of officers, airmen, airwomen and civilian staff of the NAF, commiserates with the family of late Flying Officer Arotile over this irreparable loss.
“He prayed that the Almighty God will grants her soul eternal rest and the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable lost,” the statement added.
This is coming barely one year after she was winged by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Saddique Abubakar in Abuja.